1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of electrosurgically cutting tissue, and to an electrosurgical system for cutting tissue.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Electrosurgical cutting forceps are a commonly used tool in electrosurgery. U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,638 is a typical example, in which a pair of jaws are used to grip and coagulate tissue, and then a mechanical cutting blade moves between the jaws in order to cut the tissue. U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,829 is a more recent version of this type of instrument, still employing a pair of jaws and a mechanical cutting blade.
An alternative form of cutting forceps uses an electrosurgical cutting member as opposed to a mechanical cutting member. U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,309 is one such example, in which tissue is grasped between jaws, and then an electrosurgical cutting voltage is supplied to a cutting member located on one of the jaws. In all of these devices, the amount of tissue able to be cut is limited by the size of the jaws used to grasp the tissue while it is being cut.
The present invention attempts to provide an improvement over these prior art cutting devices, especially in that the cutting of relatively larger amounts of tissue is facilitated.